One Prayer a Day

Keep Me Looking Forward

Heavenly Father,
please
keep
me
looking
forward,
not backward;
outward,
not inward;
upward,
not downward;
to Jesus,
and
not
to
other
people,
in Jesus’ name,
amen.

Who is Like You

Who is like you,

Jesus, sweet Jesus?

You are the light

of those who are spiritually lost.

You are the life

of those who are spiritually dead.

You are the liberation

of those who are imprisoned by guilt.

You are the glory

of those who hate themselves.

You are the guardian

of those who are paralyzed by fear.

You are the guide

of those who are bewildered by falsehood.

You are the peace of those who are in turmoil.

You are the prince of those who yearn to be led.

You are the priest of those who seek the truth.

(a prayer by Johann Freylinghausen; photo by Gift Habeshaw via unsplash.com)

Lord God,
I have indeed transgressed your commandments.
I have been impatient in reverses and trials.
I am unsympathetic and unmerciful.
I do not help my neighbor.
I am unable to resist sin.
I do not tire of doing wrong.

Dear Lord, pour out your grace to me
and give me your Holy Spirit
so that I may be obedient and keep each of your commandments.
Help me to be at odds with the world
and to give my heart and soul to you. Amen.

(a prayer of Martin Luther, from a collection entitled Luther's Prayers, by way of the Daily Prayer blog)

From Ghoulies and Ghosties

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!

(traditional Scottish prayer;
photo via publicdomainpictures.net)

Sun of Righteousness, Arise

Christ, Whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high be near;
Day-star, in my heart appear.

Visit now this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, Radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more Yourself display,
Shining to the perfect day.

(by Charles Wesley)

Too Faithful

Bloom

Jesus, Jesus, lily of the valley,

Bloom in all thy beauty in the garden of my heart.

(from a hymn by Sidney Cox; photo by Erda Estremera via unsplash.com)

Sweep Away My Clutter

Most glorious God,

God of compassion,

God of forgiveness,

I need your presence.

Great Physician, I need healing.

I am spiritually lukewarm

and unbelief mars my confidence

in trusting you--

brokenness and repeated failures

occupy my attention.

It astounds me that I continually try to battle life's issues on my own.

Sin makes me forget you.

Too long I have neglected the closet of prayer...

Too long I have forsaken the refreshment of your Word...

The cobwebs of indifference and the dust of life's cares choke my soul.

Broken relationships and shattered trust have prevented the health and healing of your Word.

But now--this moment,

I turn from absenteeism to the mercy seat.

I praise you for permission to approach the throne of grace.

Here, I pour out my confession of sin:

neglect,

pride,

willfulness,

arrogance,

self-sufficiency,

foolishly questioning your providence.

Divinely sweep away my soul's clutter.

Pour down upon me streams of needful grace.

Engage my heart to live more faithfully for you.

Your presence alone can make me holy,

devout,

strong,

happy.

I praise you for forgiveness--

real,

comprehensive,

enabling.

Accomplish in me your eternal purposes, through Jesus Christ, my only hope, my only Savior.

("Prayer Number Thirty-Seven" from A Pastor Prays for His People (A Collection of Wise and Loving Prayers to Help You through Life's Journey) by pastor Dr. Wendell C. Hawley; photo by MabelAmber via pixabay.com)

Obscurity

Lord, thank you for blessed obscurity--

that my high school transcripts are not on the internet,
that my first sermon is not on YouTube,
that my off-the-cuff comments don't make the news,
and that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me from all sin.
Amen.

All Our Secret Places

Father, you know us in secret,

and you know all our secret places.

What we do to benefit your kingdom

will not be lost if it is not seen by others,

for you see and you reward

according to your grace and mercy.

Strengthen us to do good works,

visibly or invisibly,

always in your name.

(a prayer of G. K. Chesterton).

Amazed

Lord, I'm amazed by you,

by the things you do,

the way you time things,

rhyme things,

one with another,

to whisper to me

that I can never be

so unmindful of you

to make you unmindful of me.

Thank you.

Amen.

(photo by Nicola Abrescia via unsplash.com)

For the Absence of Things

Lord, I praise you for the absence of things:
for hunger, because by it I know the blessing of fulness;
for silence, for by it I know the blessing of sound;
for want, for it teaches me gratitude when wants are supplied;
for darkness, because by it I learn to love light;
for sickness,
weariness,
loneliness,
pain,
boredom,
cold,
thirst,
for emptiness, idleness, helplessness,
for by all such things you teach me gratitude and remind me that all good and perfect gifts come down to me from your hand, by your grace, in Jesus' name, amen.

Shema

Going Out, Coming In

Lord, where shall I find you?
High and hidden is your place.
And where shall I not find you?
The world is full of your glory.
I have sought your nearness,
with all my heart I called you
And in going out to meet you
I found you coming in to meet me.

(a prayer of Judah Halevi)

Kill in Me

Lord God, Adonai,
kill in me
the need to control
and manage
and manipulate.
Kill my tendency
to think I am in control
(when I never am)
and that you are not in control
(when you always are).
Kill my unbelief,
my ignorance
and waywardness,
my prayerlessness
and haste,
in Jesus' name,
amen.

By the Wind of Your Spirit

Lord God Adonai,

teach me please not to be blown around

on the waves of circumstances,

but to sail solely

by the wind

of your Spirit,

in Jesus' name, amen.

Fill My Cup

Fill my cup, Lord;
I lift it up, Lord.
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.

(photo by anitapeppers via morguefile)